Behind every success there is a history

September 1988 – The command
received the go-ahead for a theater
missile program.

January – October 1989 – A
Systems Requirements Study was
conducted.

August 1990 – Concept Definition
contracts were awarded to Sparta,
Lockheed, and MDSSC.

September 1990 – Theater High
Altitude Area Defense, or
THAAD, entered into a 13-month
concept definition phase. The
THAAD is the first weapon
system to be developed
specifically to defend against
theater ballistic missiles.

March 1993 - Design revised to
produce a “larger kinetic-kill
interceptor and a more powerful
rocket booster.”

November 1994 – Aerojet was
awarded a two-year, $15.9 million
contract to develop a gel
propellant divert and attitude
control system for the THAAD.

April 1995 – First test of the
THAAD postponed due
“glitches” in the pre-test
preparation. This test was itself
postponed from March 31, that
time at the request of the White
Sands Missile Range.

April 1995 – First test of the
THAAD. The launcher and the
missile met all of their test
objectives, in this flight test. This
flight was a test of the rocket
motor, flight controls and warhead
separation. There are 13 tests
planned for the THAAD missile
system.

July 1995 - Second test focused on
missile guidance and control
system, to ensure that the missile
receives target updates from the
radar. Test was terminated due to
excessive speed, but three of the
four goals were achieved.

October 1995 – Third test of the
THAAD. The primary objective
was the collection of seeker data.
Its seeker collected data on the
Storm target in the acquisition and
track modes, accomplishing all the
goals of the second test and
additional objectives.

December 1995 – Fourth test was
the first planned intercept test of
the system. Due to a software
error, the system failed to intercept
the Storm target.

March 1996 – Fifth test of the
THAAD, second intercept
attempt. This was the first test to
involve all of the THAAD
components. The missile was
launched from the THAAD
palletized load system launcher.
During this test, a lanyard
malfunctioned and reset the
avionics computers, as a result the
THAAD did not succeed in its
primary objective - to intercept the
HERA target.

July 1996 – Sixth test of the
THAAD, third intercept attempt.
The goal of this test was to
intercept the Hera in the high
endo-atmosphere. Problems with
the focal plane array overloaded
the system and prevented target
identification.

March 1997 – Seventh test of the
THAAD, fourth intercept attempt.
The DACS motors did not operate
as designed, as a result the missile
was not able to maneuver.

March 1998 – COLSA Corporation
received a $89 million contract for
independent verification and
validation of software for the
THAAD system.

May 1998 – Eighth test of the
THAAD, fifth intercept attempt. A
short circuit in the thrust vector
control mechanism forced the
THAAD missile to self-destruct in
the boost phase.

May 1998 – The Army issued a
cure notice requiring a solution to
the missile test failures. This
notice could lead to a contract
termination. Lockheed Martin
responded, in part, with an offer to
assume some of the cost risk.

September 1998 – On the 18 th , the
THAAD Radar successfully
tracked a NASA rocket launch (a
Terrior/Black Brant) at White
Sands Missile Range. On the 24 th ,
the radar system tracked an Air
Force and Army rocket
demonstration for over four
minutes.

March 1999 – Ninth test of the
THAAD, sixth intercept attempt.
In this test, the interceptor came
within 30 meters of the target. The
error was attributed to a failure of
one of the attitude control motors.

May 1999 – Tenth test of the
THAAD, seventh intercept
attempt. Test was postponed due
to problem with the target.

May 1999 – Lockheed Missiles
and Space Corp. was assessed a
$15 million penalty for not
achieving a hit during the intercept
test on March 29. Lockheed
Martin’s contract makes them
liable for failures that result from
malfunctions in their system.

June 1999 – Tenth test of the
THAAD, seventh intercept
attempt. Test was postponed due
to commercial power outage at the
White Sands Missile Range, NM.